Pathway To My Heart
by Hayate-Chan
Summary: 300 years have past since Avatar Aang. Our story follows the reincarnations of two confused benders as they try to follow the correct path in their second life... Zutara


Have you ever wondered, 'What if I had done this instead of that

Jem: Dear lord someone stop me. It's another one! Gyah! Poor Mattoid is getting sooo neglected -sighs- what's worse is I stumbled upon my Harry Potter fanfic just like… a few minutes ago and got in a mood to FINALLY continue it! Someone just stop me already! Well, now I've finally cracked though. Here's my Avatar fanfic! Ah! Run away!

**Disclaimer: Avatar and copyrighted character do not belong to me. They belong to Nickelodeon and those crazy guys who came up with Avatar. All of the wonderful -heartheart- OCS are **_**mine**_**.**

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Have you ever wondered, 'What if I had done this instead of that?' How different would your life be now? The wonder of humanity is the level of thinking that allows us to make choices. Because of this ability of choice the future isn't always set in stone. Sometimes two souls meant to be start to stray away from the path to each other. Due to circumstances of their past they find themselves heading down another path. It is easy for the souls to return on their path to each other, but the opportunities stop appearing as they continue making other choices. When the two souls' bodies end their time on the Earth they feel as if there was something missing in their life…

These regrets bring lost souls into the world once more. Another chance to find their love gone astray.

Year 3030, roughly 300 years have passed since the last airbending Avatar, Aang. In the 300 years peace that Aang established remained unharmed. The rule of Fire Lord Zuko changed the Fire Nation into a peaceful friend to the other nations. The four Nations remained harmonious and started trusting each other. When Aang and his wife, the famed waterbender Katara, died of old age the next Avatar was born. The Water Avatar assisted the rise of the new Fire Lord, the eldest son of the late Fire Lord Zuko and Queen Mai. The peace continued.

New airbenders were entering the world. They followed the teachings left behind the last Avatar. Though airbending wasn't given to monks like the times of Aang. Since there were no monks left, except for those that Aang taught, airbenders were born from normal citizens of the Air Nation communities, also established by Aang. Life also continued.

It around the second century of peace things started going awry. The Avatar was slowly being forgotten in the times of harmony. There was no extreme need for his rulings, so the Water and Earth Avatars made no large impact on the world, thus weakening the name of the Avatar.

The Earth Avatar had recently died and the Fire Avatar born. The teachers for the Avatar felt no pressure to quickly teach the boy the elements. They took their time and reclusively taught him for 20 years. It was in those 20 years evil started bubbling up from the peaceful times.

Slave trade suddenly became very popular. Officials became corrupted with power. The higher ups remained untainted, but mutiny was brewing in the Nations, excluding the temples of the Airbenders. Small groups of benders started traveling across the continents, selling technologies that run off bending powers. Well trained assassins started appearing. Righteous officials started to be killed off. Havoc was threatening to break through in those 20 years of absence.

When the Fire Avatar finally came out of his training he was blind to the evil around him. He helped with minor things; never noticing the giant plots forming. In the following thirty years he worked as an Avatar situations grew worse. He was a careless man and was killed in his fifties.

Peace has been disrupted again and we have found ourselves facing the next element in the cycle. Our story begins here…

**Fire Nation Capital: Year 3019**

"Thank you for your help Uncle." The young child bowed sloppily to his uncle with a nervous smile.

The older man grinned and pulled his nephew into a hug. "Now, now. Don't think I don't appreciate your company Prince Zuko. This old geyser needs his social interaction somehow." He held the child by his shoulders and nodded to the large palace in the distance. "Give my regards to your parents, hm?"

"Yes Uncle!" The young Zuko chirped as he returned the hug and raced down the grassy slope. He suddenly disappeared from the man's view, but just as quickly popped up and grinned sheepishly. The child waved from his spot on the side of the hill and continued running, this time taking more time to step with care so he wouldn't trip again.

Zuko's midnight black hair was shaggy and fell in his face. Whenever he went to visit his uncle he never bothered putting it up in those annoying buns. Mother always made him pull his hair up when at home. It bugged him so much. He thought it looked dorky. He always liked hairstyles that the Earth Nation boy's sported.

Sharp golden eyes surveyed the streets as he ran through them. Something felt weird. There seemed to be nobody out and about. Sure, it was rather late, but he always stopped to buy some meat pies before going home. He was no later than usual.

The prince wondered if there was a special occasion that he had forgotten about. Surely Mother would have informed him and spent the whole day trying to groom her children. Something was definitely wrong.

The smell of to much smoke hit his nose first. He felt the heat before the sight. The sight before him as he rounded the corner was horrific. There was his home, his palace, burning. It was burning. He wasn't sure which caused him to start running faster, maybe it was everything, but he ran like the devil was on his heels.

As he neared the palace there was a small amount relief when he saw the whole building was not on fire. It seemed more like there was a fight and the burning wood was the aftermath of… The relief instantly disappeared at the thought of a fight in the palace.

Fear for his family gave the tired child enough strength to quicken his pace. As he raced through the halls once again he noticed a lack of people. Where were the servants? The palace guards? Anyone?

If the doors to the throne room weren't open Zuko would have run right past it. But they were wide open, as if they were beckoning him inside. He didn't need any other invitation. The site inside made his heart freeze solid.

His mother and younger sister were chained to the wall. Sprawled across the throne was his father, blood pouring from his soon to be lifeless body. His elder brother stood over their father with a smirk. "Glad you could welcome us Zuko."

"What's going on Raiz?" The child yelled, running to his mother. A stream of fire cut off his path to the women.

"Come on, don't go running to Mommy every time something bad happens." The older boy stepped down from the raised floor under the chair. "Shouldn't you be running to see how Father is doing?"

Zuko whipped around to stare helplessly at his brother. "Raiz… What's going on?" He asked, his voice quivering as tears threatened to start falling.

"Why isn't it obvious?" The ember eyed Raiz sauntered over to his brother and wrapped his arm around his shoulders. "Dear Mother turned traitor and killed Father."

The child looked at his toddler sister, tears streaming down her face. He pulled away from Raiz and pointed at the tiny girl. "So why is Azalia chained up! She did nothing wrong! And Mother wouldn't kill him! She loves Father!"

"She did love him, didn't she?" He bent down to be eye level with the child and smirked. "Only she loved you more."

"W-What are you talking about?" Zuko wanted to back away from the piercing red gaze of his brother's yet control over his body seemed to be lost.

"You know Father was considering naming you as the Crown Prince. Can you believe that? You? A little brat as the Crown Prince?" The older brother stood strait and shook his head. "I deserve this country, not you. What better way to get rid of my rival than to kill him?"

The sting of betrayal made Zuko's knees buckle. He fell to the ground just as tears started to roll down his cheeks. His brother didn't need to continue any more, the child understood. He had been taught matters of the court since he was able to talk. Mother killed Father to protect him. But, something wasn't adding up.

The child looked at his mother, but she refused to meet his eyes. He wanted her confirmation that everything was true. He needed her confirmation. He looked up at his brother once more. "What'd you threaten her with so she didn't just kill you?"

Raiz's red eyes crinkled with the sickening smile that spread across his face. "Isn't little Zuzu a smart one?" He bent down once more and said from syllable to syllable with a mocking tone. "That someone else would kill you in my stead."

Zuko fiercely wiped his tears away and rose from the ground. He held his fists at his side and yelled. "AGNI KAI!"

A small look of shock crossed the tall man, but it was quickly overcome by amusement. "You want to challenge _me_ to an Agni Kai, little Zuko? Even Azalia is better at firebending then you are."

"I've been practicing." The boy replied stubbornly. "And when I win you need to take blame for everything and leave!"

"When you win? Little Zuzu sure is confident." Raiz smirked and walked over to the little girl chained to the wall. "Well Azalia, would you like to watch under better conditions? All you need to do is give me your answer and you're free."

The girl stared at her eldest brother, then at Zuko. She stuck her tongue out at him and met the red eyes staring down at her. "I like Raiz better."

Anger filled Zuko. How could his sister not understand what was going on? Even a young child like her should be able to figure out that Raiz was the bad guy.

"Prove it," Raiz whispered into his sister's ear as he unlocked her shackles. He left her to take them off and moved to the dead center of the room. "Come at me brother."

Zuko charged at his brother, murderous rage fueling him. Raiz wasn't expecting such a violent intent. As the child threw his first few fireballs Raiz was barely able to avoid them. He had underestimated his younger brother.

Zuko landed awkwardly and pulled himself into a fighting stance. "I'm going to win Raiz." He took a couple jumps to get his blood flowing and started building momentum as he ran at his brother once more. As he ran fireballs shot out of his hands at his opponent.

Raiz deftly avoided the attacks and shot out at his brother with fire of his own. Neither fighter hit his target nor neither was ready to back down. Zuko gathered fire at his feet and sent flying kicks at Raiz.

Raiz ducked under the barrage of fiery kicks and sent a stream of fire at Zuko's exposed stomach. Zuko took the impact through his feet and twirled to the ground. He stumbled slightly by the movement, but pulled back into a fighting stance and glared at his brother.

Raiz crouched down into a stance as well. The two stood there, perfectly still, for what seemed like hours, but in reality was only a couple seconds. Abruptly the two rushed at each other while sending bursts of flames. Zuko was pushing Raiz back and it seemed like he would actually win.

Zuko gathered a large ball of fire and shot it with all his might at Raiz. Raiz split the ball, but the power pushed him back into the raised ground where the throne sat. He hadn't been paying attention to his surroundings and was expecting the sudden elevation.

Raiz stumbled onto the ground. Zuko didn't lose the opportunity. He leapt into the air and landed on top of his brother and shot a blast of fire next to his head. "Accept defeat or I hit your face Raiz."

Instead of a dejected look of failure there was a smirk etched across the older boy's face. "You may win this Agni Kai, but I win this fight."

"What are you ta-" A sudden burst of fire came from the other side of the room. Zuko barely missed the attack as he fell off his brother onto the ground. "That's cheating!" Zuko yelled, jumping back to his feet. He looked over to where the fire came from and his jaw dropped. "Azalia?"

The tiny girl pulled out of her stance with a fierce gaze. "I'm on Raiz's side."

Before Zuko could reply an arrow whizzed past his face. "What?!" He looked around but saw nobody. He received no reply; all he got was a round of arrows shot at him. Zuko was able a evade them, but as he pulled away from the last projectile a wall of fire met him.

Zuko twisted and tried to change his path in mid air, but the maneuver was too tricky for the child. The target intended was changed, but a hit inevitable. A full face hit was avoided, saving Zuko's life. The giant stream of fire lashed across the left side of his face.

The child cried out in pain. He fell to his knees, clutching his burnt face. Zuko felt consciousness fading from the extreme pain filling his mind. "Raiz…" Zuko whimpered as he toppled to the ground. He heard a distant voice, "I'm here now Prince Zuko." Zuko felt a small shred of hope accompanying the voice. Everything wasn't lost.

"Uncle…"

**Southern Water Tribe: Year 3021**

Her lungs filled with the icy air, in, out, in, out. She stumbled on the uneven snowy ground. She fell to the ground with a squeal. Snow filled her mouth and her clothes.

"Katara! Get up!"

The brunette felt her brother grab her arm and then violently jerk her out of the snow. "That hurt Souji!"

"I don't care! You'll be hurting a lot more if we don't get to the village!" Souji kept his hold on his sister and started pulling her behind him. "This is bad. Real bad!"

"I know Souji, but stop pulling me! You're gonna pull my arm out!"

"I don't care Katara! Just keep running!"

The young girl sighed and tried to keep up with her brother. She didn't really understand what the big deal was. "Why are we in such a rush anyways? Those ships didn't look that scary."

Souji shook his head and pulled Katara closer to him. He swirled her around and placed her on his back. He started running faster since he didn't need to pull Katara along. "Those were slaver trader ships! Don't you realize what that means?"

"No I don't Souji!" Katara looked up at her brother with worried eyes. "Souji, what are slave traders?"

Souji sighed and shifted his hold on his sister so it was easier for him to run. "Have you been paying attention to anything Katara?"

"I don't sneak into the meetings Souji! You're the only one besides the elders that knows these things!" Katara huffed and wrapped her arms tighter around Souji's neck.

"They kidnap people and sell them off to rich officials. Human beings are treated like animals and as possessions!"

Her crystal blue eyes filled with fear. "Are they going to take us Souji?"

"Not if I can help it." The village was in sight but the boy started running even faster. Once inside the icy walls he dropped his sister to the ground. "Go make sure Mom is okay and gather all the women, children, and elderly! I'm going to get Dad and the other men." Souji hugged his little sister with a grim smile. "Don't worry Katara. I'll protect you."

"O-okay Souji…" Katara watched her brother run off with a shiver. She shook herself off then headed through the igloos. Thankfully her house was near the entrance so she didn't have far to run. Katara ran through the opening, breathing heavily. "Mom!" She yelled, opening the cloth in the doorway of her parent's room. "Mom, come on!"

The woman propped herself up in her bed and looked at her daughter questionably. "What's going on honey?"

"S-Slave traders?"

The sick woman popped out of bed and raced across the room. "Come Katara, we must gather those who can't fight."

"I know! Souji told me to do that!" Katara grabbed her mother's hand and pulled her out of the house. "Mom, I'll go tell the east side! Can you take care of the west?"

"Go with speed Katara! We need to hurry!"

"I know Mom!" Katara ran through the icy streets. She stuck her head in the houses and igloos she past, telling them to gather to the blizzard safe houses. They were special underground buildings the tribe hid in during the worst of blizzards. It was safely hidden, anybody trying to attack the village would have difficulty finding those trying to hide.

It didn't take long to gather her side of the village, no matter how large the Southern Tribe was, it was nothing compared to the Northern Tribe. It made gathering people quickly easy.

The underground room looked completely full, but Katara couldn't find her mother. She frowned and headed over to one of the village elders. "Have you seen my mother?" She asked worriedly.

"She was fighting off some of those attackers so we could escape!" A child Katara's age popped up next to her and grinned. "She's brave!"

"Jing-ay!" The old woman grabbed the child and looked at Katara, but the brunette was already gone. "Katara!" She yelled at the child's retreating figure. "Katara come back!"

The cries were wasted on deaf ears. Katara couldn't believe everyone just left her mother to fight off the people! Her mother was sick! Why should she be left behind, waterbender or not! The girl snuck out of the underground caverns and raced through the village. Jing-ay lived in the southwestern corner of the village. If Katara was lucky she'd get there in time.

The sight of flying ice signaled exactly where her mother was. Katara raced through the streets to the battlefield. The attackers surrounded her mother. One of them was obviously a firebender and that brought no surprise to the child, even though the nation itself was good now, the reputation of firebenders was still in place.

What did surprise Katara was the man with the outlines of blue arrows covering his body. It was an airbender, an odd airbender, but an airbender nonetheless! Weren't airbenders supposed to be good? Everything was just too confusing! Katara was starting to wish she spied on the meetings the adults held like Souji did. Maybe then everything would make sense.

The rest of the people did not hold the air of any type of bender, they were just human attackers. She set all her might on them, knowing the benders could easily deflect her attacks. Katara gathered all her thoughts into one place, the only place where she felt one with the water. She lifted her arms and coaxed the snow to encase and harden around the humans that were attacking her mother.

They didn't see it coming and the snow encased all of them. The firebender and airbender stared at her mother, trying to figure out if the frail woman had been able to pull off such an attack. The two noticed the woman's just as confused look and nodded at each other.

They sent out a blast of fire and air around them. Katara shrieked and absorbed the attacks with her water. Unfortunately, the igloos hiding her were demolished, leaving her out in the open.

"Katara!" Her mother yelled.

"I'm sorry Mom! Jing-ay said you were all alone! I couldn't leave you!" Katara froze the snow surrounding the benders and quickly ran over to her mother. She hugged the woman, tears forming in her eyes. "Mom! You're sick! You shouldn't be fighting!"

"And you are a child Katara. You shouldn't be fighting either. Neither should your brother." The woman took a fighting stance and nodded for her daughter to do the same. "But since you are here I won't ignore the help."

Before any strikes could be sent out a horn sounded through the village. The fire and air bender looked at each other and sighed. "See you next time ladies." The firebender said with a shrug as he ran off.

"Where are you going?" Katara demanded at the airbender. "Why are you bad?"

The airbender smirked and gave a cocky wave to the two. "What? Can only firebenders be bad? The days of the monks have been long over with. And don't think we are retreating because we are afraid, we simply have enough people. I'll be looking forward to a rematch little waterbender." With that said the airbender leapt into the air and started bouncy from roof to roof.

"Souji!" Katara exclaimed suddenly. "What if Souji was captured? Mom! You stay here!" The child ran off, once again ignoring the please for her to stay.

Katara remained among the igloos, she wasn't stupid. As she neared the snow wall she ducked into a small child sized hole. Souji had dug it out for his war games, though he hated it being called a game. She crawled through the small hole and poked her head out just enough so she could see outside. The sight was too horrible to believe.

There were the normal looking ships she had originally seen, but there were also Fire Nation ships as well. What were Fire Nation ships doing in the South Pole? What was it that suddenly made the Fire Nation break the long 300 years of peace? What was going on? All of her questions would be left unanswered.

There was a line of Water Tribe men lined up, shackled to each other. Every single one was significantly injured. The waterbenders had odd looking shackles around their wrists and ankles. The waterbenders themselves looked odd looking, as if their life was being sucked out of them.

Two familiar figures walking at the end of the line came into Katara's view. "Dad! Souji!" She started to move out of the hole when a giant pile of snow suddenly piled on top of her.

"Did you hear that?" A fire nation soldier looked around curiously. He could have sworn he just heard someone yell out. Two of the prisoners looked like they recognized the voice as well as their names. The soldier followed their gaze to a pile of snow at the wall.

Slowly he started to inch over to the snow pile. A lash of water suddenly cut him off from his path. A sick looking woman stood at the entrance to the village. "You aren't taking them." She said firmly.

Katara tried and tried to push the snow away from her to get out, but the frozen water particles would not answer to her. There was only one person that disabled Katara's waterbending. That was her mother. "MOM!" Katara scream, though to no avail. The snow muffled her yells to the point of almost silence.

"Just kill her." The firebender from earlier stepped up next to the guard with a bored expression. "She's sick anyways. She would be no use to the slave trade." He lifted his hand and signaled the archers to shoot, they did.

"Mom!" Souji yelled, trying to break through his shackles. His father held the boy back with tears streaming down his face.

"Don't try to get loose Souji. You'll just get hurt. I know it's painful, but at least Katara is still safe." He gave the sobbing boy a hug. "Be strong Souji."

The guards split the two apart and forced them to continue walking. Souji looked over at the pile of snow and sniffled. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you very well Katara." He whispered to himself as he boarded the Fire Nation ship.

The assailants boarded their ships without a word and left in silence, never giving a second glance at the village they wrecked havoc upon. Nothing dared make a sound as the sickly woman with around protruding out of her lay on the ground, holding on to life just long enough for the ships to be completely out of sight. Once she died her waterbending would be rendered useless.

Though it was already weakening. Katara pushed with all her might and finally the snow gave through to her bending. She had heard what had gone on, but had refused to believe it. "MOM!" She screeched, running over to the struggling woman. Tears streamed down Katara's face. "Oh Mom, I'm so sorry! This is all my fault! I thought I could save Dad and Souji! I didn't realize there was a whole army attacking us! Oh Souji must hate me now. Dad too! This is all my fault."

As sobs racked Katara's body her mother slowly raised her arm to hug her daughter close. "I was dying already Katara honey. My illness wasn't going to get any better. Nothing is your fault. No one blames you for anything." She struggled to continue talking and was only to gasp out a few last words. "At…least…protect…you…"

Katara wailed and tightened her hold on her mother, as if doing so could keep her soul inside it. "Why does everyone protect me? I can protect myself… Don't waste yourself for me!" She screamed to the heavens above as black snow started falling from the sky. "Don't protect me anymore!"

**Deep in an Earth Kingdom forest: Year 3023**

The strong smell dust gave when floating in the air filled his sensitive nose. His arms were frozen in the air, the rocks hovering above them just as stationary. His sensitive ears still rang from the sound the falling rocks had given off. Grit filled his mouth and made his throat scream for water. Though what hurt the most were his eyes. They didn't hurt physically, no, they hurt mentally.

The image was no longer there in front of him, but it would be forever etched into his mind. Just like everything that ever happened. It was added to his memory. Forever the images would remain like scars. Maybe he truly was cursed…

He stared at the rubble now no longer rolling down the mountainside. No longer rolling over and over again on her body, now completely buried. He winced as everything played back in his mind, her frail old body, the impact of rock after rock, and the sound of bones crushing. Suddenly the load hovering over his head became too heavy.

The rocks fell around him. His cheeks felt wet. He just realized he was crying. He was so sure that by now he'd be used to it, people who associated with him dying. There was the pack, the young warrior, the explorer, almost everyone he traveled or lived with. What was wrong with him?

His legs felt like jelly, yet he couldn't stay there anymore. He needed to move away. Just get away from the resting place of the latest victim. He walked down the side of the mountain as if in a daze. The rocks parted away from where his foot landed so he did not stumble. His dissent was easy.

As he reached level ground leaves started to circle around him. He fell to his knees and the leaves cushioned him. "WHY?" He yelled to the mountain. Couldn't anybody help him cure his curse?

_Brother._

He looked down at the ground, chocolate brown hair falling in his face. He looked around for the source of the call. It sounded like the voice of a shirshu. What was a shirshu doing out of a pack, calling him a brother? Only those from the pack knew him as a brother. Surely there couldn't have been any survivors.

A pink tentacle covered nose appeared in front of his emerald eyes. An eyeless head stared down at him. The nose rubbed against his face, trying to comfort the grieving boy.

He held out his hands and rubbed the side of the animal's head. He placed his forehead on the eyeless span above the nose and closed his eyes. _What are you doing here young one? Why do you call me brother?_

_Because you are brother. I've been told of you, two-legged brethren. _The shirshu nuzzled Yorick once more and a strange equivalent of a purr vibrated the animal's body.

He opened his eyes and examined the shirshu standing before him. It couldn't have been older than a couple of years. The pack had been almost completely annihilated. This one was definitely not old enough to have been part of the original pack. Why would stories of him have been told to the pups? _Why have you been told of me?_

The shirshu moaned in agony. _The pack always told us to find the two-legged brethren if we ever got lost or… if another disaster happens._

_No._ He shut his eyes and moaned with the shirshu. _I thought everyone would be safe if I left. Why was the curse still following them?_

_You never cursed us brother._

He didn't dare argue, he'd been through the argument many times. It was pointless. He could never make someone agree with him. He simply ignored the comment the shirshu made. _What is your name young one?_

_I am called Nao. Please become my new family. I'm lonely._

He could feel the pain in Nao's words. Only more pain could possibly come from being his family. But, she had nothing to loose. Maybe they could live off of each other's pain. _Of course Nao. Please accept me as your brother as I accept you as my sister._

_I have already come to know you as my brother, what is your name two-legger?_

_I am as know as Yorick. Welcome to my life Nao._

**Ba Sing Se University: Year 3025**

"Are you all packed Elina?"

The young blond teen looked up from her bags at her master. She smiled brightly. "Yes Master Kon. I'm ready to go."

The elderly man smirked and headed out the door. He didn't bother waiting for his pupil; he knew she'd be seconds behind him.

Elina shouldered her backpack and pulled the straps to her side bags on her shoulders. It was a heavy load, but she wouldn't be able to survive any journey without the proper materials to record and research material. She was a true bookworm, through and through.

She let out a small grunt as she stood and raced out the door. She followed her master through the university campus and to the gates. Elina was off balance; she had forgotten to put her glasses on. She searched through her left side bag until she found the thick rimmed eye pieces.

Elina pulled her glasses on and sighed with relief as her view because clearer. Too clear though, they were visible again. In her thirteen years Elina had never met another person who could see them so clearly everyday all day. They were spirits, ghosts as one could call them.

Only Master Kon knew of her ability, if one would call it that. It was a tiring skill. They were always talking to her, trying to get her to help them pass on. Really, she never asked for the sight.

"Now Elina you understand the task at hand, correct?" Master Kon halted in front of the university gates with a firm gaze.

"Yes Master. To complete my scholarly training to be accepted into the Scholar Council I must have research and records gathered together. I must create a piece of work that can be recorded into history." Elina looked at her Master and frowned slightly. "Master Kon, you don't seem to have anything packed. Why are you empty hand—ed."

Master Kon smiled and opened the scholar door next to the gate and pushed his blond pupil out into the streets. "Because I'm not going with you young Elina." The old man grinned and waved as he shut the door, locking it behind him. "Have a nice trip Elina dear!" He called with a laugh.

Elina lay sprawled across the street with wide hazel eyes. Her blond hair was falling out of its tight bun, frizzing up the second it came out. Mocking laughter filled her ears, not normal laughter though. She could tell by now what sounds only she could hear.

"And the great pupil Elina is thrown out into the streets! Amazing performance Master Elina! I absolutely loved it!" The transparent form of a female teenager floated above Elina, laughing at her.

"Oh be quiet Kareno. Just pass on already." Elina sighed and struggled to get back onto her feet. It was a good thing she packed all her books. If she hadn't then she would have definitely been at a loss.

Kareno smirked and followed the bookworm through the streets of Ba Sing Se. "What are you talking about? I don't want to. It's too much fun haunting you." She laughed and twirled around the blond. "So where to Elina? You have a long journey ahead of you."

"Why should I tell you?" Elina sighed and looked up at the sky. It was going to feel like an even longer journey with Kareno hanging around. How did things become like this?

**Eastern Air Temple: Year 3028 **

Aria giggled as she traced the filled in tattoo on her hand. It was so weird seeing the lines she owned her whole life colored in. That was how airbenders were these days. You were born with the outlines of the airbending arrows and when you were titled master they were colored in.

Her own arrows were quite unique. Instead of the common single arrow over the head Aria's arrow split into two as it hit her forehead. They two thick lines curved down around her eyes and ended in a small arrow point. All her other arrows were normal, just her head was weird. Oh how her friends loved to pull jokes about that.

Of course the teasing just tripled once her arrows got filled in. They were just jealous though. She came up with a new airbending technique, they didn't. It perfectly fair she was named a master and they weren't. Jealous pigs they were.

It was the exact technique that allowed her to remain in the meeting room of the Eastern Temple monks while they spoke. It was a sneaky little trick that she devised just for spying on people. What she did was bend the air around her to hide her image. It was so amazing that only the higher up monks were capable of mimicking it. Aria was very proud of herself.

The monks had a mixture of pride and annoyance in their emotions. The last thing they ever wanted was an invisible Aria. With her curiosity nothing was safe. Every inch of the temple was known by Aria, which was quite a feat. The temple was the largest out of the air temples after all.

"We need to tell her so she can start learning water bending!"

Aria inched closer to the group with a grin. They were talking about the Avatar! By the way they were speaking she was one of the girls at the temple. Oh did Aria ever make the right call in sneaking into this confrence.

"No Master Hean, the girl is 14. It won't hurt to wait two more year until she is the right age."

Master Joan was the one that had spoken. Aria mentally groaned and rolled her eyes. Figured the old sourpuss would have something to say against going tradition. But, 14, that didn't narrow the list at all. Almost all the girls at the temple were around 14.

Master Hean shook her head with a sigh. "In two years a lot could go worse. She has mastered air now. There is no reason for her to remain here. The slave trade has gotten worse and worse. Not to mention there are rogue airbenders siding with them. There is no time to waste."

"Just think of what happened only two years after the fall of Fire Lord Kozan!"

Aria nodded in agreement. Master Hean and Master Ilf were right. If the Avatar had already mastered air she needed to go learn waterbending. Just the rumors of the slave trade were bad enough. She couldn't believe Master Joan was even considering waiting two years.

"True, but do you really think Aria has the mental maturity to travel the world?" Once again it was the sourpuss Master Joan speaking.

Aria instantly dropped her invisible air at the same time her jaw fell open. _SHE_ was the Avatar? How was that even _possible_? "What are you guys talking about?!"

Master Joan sighed and placed her head in her hands. "This is exactly what I'm talking about." She muttered to herself.

"Aria, what are you doing here?" Master Hean stood as she asked the pointless question.

"Am I seriously the _AVATAR_? You gotta be kidding me! I'm just good at airbending!" Aria stepped to the center of the room, her arms outstretched as she spoke. "Are you really just gonna make me sit around here?"

"Well it's an obvious decision now that she knows." Master Ilf said with a gentle smile.

"Someone needs to put a leash on that child." Master Joan muttered to herself.

"So that means I get to travel the world?" Aria leaped into the air with joy. Suddenly, a thought came to her. "Hey! Does that mean I gotta travel with one of your old ladies?"

Master Choi, who had been silent since the beginning, stood with a small smile. "Aria, how mean, you don't think I'm old, do you?"

Aria stared at the eldest member of the Eastern Air Temple and smirked at their little joke. "Of course not Master Choi! You're the youngest out of these old hags! But still, I'll get bored if I'm with one of you all."

"I don't think any of us could stand being with her 24/7 anyways." Master Joan stood and placed her hands into the giant sleeves of her cloak. "There is a young woman from Ba Sing Se University coming in a couple weeks conducting research on airbenders. Perhaps she'd like to research a special airbender."

"Oooh! That sounds fun!" Aria squealed and hugged Master Joan excitedly.

"I'm going on a journey!"

**Si Wong Desert: Present Day**

The ostrich horse skwaked loudly and started to buck. The whipping sand lashed against the feathered animal's open skin. He wanted to run free without the load on top of him. He started hopping in place, trying desperately to unseat his rider.

The cloaked woman was saved from the lashing sandy winds. Despite the heat of the desert air ever inch of the waterbender was covered with clothing. The last town she had entered before crossing the desert advised she do so. Even if the heat was insufferable it was unwise to have any inch of skin exposed. First there was the deadly sun that could bake you dry. Then there were the violent sandstorms that could tear your skin off.

A giant gust of win hit the two. The ostrich horse flew backwards, throwing his rider into the air. The animal dropped to the ground and started rolling around on the ground until its saddle came off. He leaped back to his feet and ran away from his owner.

Katara groaned as she watched the retreating figure in the swirling sand. Just her luck, her ride abandoned her in the middle of the desert. At least he left behind all of her belongings, water included. With a sigh Katara pulled herself to her feet, fighting the intense wind pounding her into the soft sand.

She gathered her bags and looked around for the canteens. Yet, they were nowhere to be seen. "Oh you got to be kidding me." Katara muttered as she shifted around in the sand. How could they have disappeared so quickly? Was destiny out to kill her? "Damn…"

There wasn't much else she could do other than continue walking. With the weight of her bags on her shoulders Katara continued her journey through the barren wastelands of the Si Wong Desert. The winds didn't reside to Katara it almost seemed like they were growing stronger with each step.

As the hours dragged on Katara could feel the need for water increasing. Why did her canteens disappear like that? What did she do to deserve that turn of bad luck? The wind suddenly picked up in speed drastically, throwing Katara off her feet and flying into the sand dunes.

The blow exhausted the rest of Katara's remaining energy supply. Was this her fate? Was she going to die in these sands? The winds were not dying down. Maybe she'd be buried alive. That didn't sound too pleasant.

As Katara felt herself slipping away a strange sound filled her ears. It was a 'meow' type of sound. She was probably hallucinating. There would be nothing related to a feline out in the middle of the desert. Great, she'd be leaving the world crazy.

That was the last thought in her mind as she fell into unconsciousness. She wasn't able to hand on long enough to hear anything else said.

"What did you find there cat?" The tall man bent over with wide eyes at the woman in the sand. "Looks like somebody was stupid." He muttered to himself as he lifted the woman into his arms…

* * *

Jem: Tune in dramatic music please! :3 Please give me your opinions my luvvies! I love constructive criticism and praise just as much! R&R duckies!


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